Stranded in the Satyr's Garden: A Monster Mishaps Novella

Monster Mishaps #1

by Cia Petrichor

Gram always told me to trust my instincts, and my instincts told me not to go to the holiday party thrown by my boss. Friendless and alone in a new city, how could I say no when the only coworker I’ve connected with begged me to go? I should have remembered Gram was always right.

When my boss’ creepy son lures me away from the party, I quickly realize I’m in danger. But then the door appears and I wake up stranded in a magical garden in the arms of a devilishly handsome stranger. Who cares if he has horns or hooves instead of feet? The satyr makes no secret that he wants me, claiming I have all the power…and I kind of want to use it.

Maybe going to that party was exactly what I needed, after all. But the satyr wants more than a night of pleasure; he wants to keep me forever. What would Gram say about that?

Genres: Romance, Monster Romance, Novella, Monsters, Fantasy, Paranormal, Mythology

132 pages, Paperback

Published December 21, 2022

About the author

Cia Petrichor is a New Orleans native who lives with her kids and cats somewhere in the swamp. She copes by writing weird books, reading too much monster and alien smut, covering her body in tattoos, and occasionally drawing.

Reviews

[Whitney Atkinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

last book i read for the plus size readathon! this novella was easy to fly through but wasn't my favorite. i liked the idea of this woman stumbling across a magical doorway to this satyr's garden and he takes care of her, but so much of the book was "omg you're a monster" and not "omg sexy lemme hop on it." the satyr being coded as scottish with all the typical jargon (lass, aye, etc) was kind of cringe, but altogether the guy was sweet. for a guy with magical healing cum i wish we could've seen more of it 😔

[BookishKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

“I will never leave you. If you accept me, I will love you without condition and strive to fill your life with laughter and safety, joy and pleasure.”

[nush ❀ · Rating 2 out of 5]

— 2.5 ☆

vvvv cheesy. vvvv cute also. just not for me. i rlly loved the beginning bcz the concept of the satyr and the garden was v fun and I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series bcz it sounds even more intriguing. i was honestly entertained while reading it but the smut felt repetitive. it was also WAY TOO INSTA LOVEY. like way too much. but it's a novella so i kinda get it.

i can see a lot of people enjoying this tho, so if u want a respectful, tender, gentle cinnamon roll satyr and a plus size heroine def check this one out!

[Bon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright, but the protagonist makes some dumb decisions to get herself into the plot situation, ugh. And mentions her grandmother way too much for a spicy novella lmao. I don't see a lot of satyr romance though so creativity points!!!

[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book had its good qualities, like pretty well fleshed out MCs and a good rescue scene. Rastus was kinda adorable, with his horn tugging and all. I had a bit of a hard time with the timeline of the book given what Rastus rescued her from, but there was an explanation for how Jessa Mae felt.

Spice: 4/5

Triggers: SA, drugging (roofie), voyeurism, enforced isolation, mention of death of loved one

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ Cute Yuletime Monster Romance.

Satyrs are weird -not usually my cup of tea- but this one in particular deserved all the merriment he gets, if you know what I mean. Also, the way he postrates himself in front of her... get you a guy who will beg for your forgiveness like that!!

Rast was the ultime simp and I just love to see it. What else can I ask out of a holiday fantasy? Oh yeah, that he had violent fantasies about the guy who almost SA-ed her. That was a great final touch.

🌶️🌶️.5 / 5
Not super spicy, but it picks up at the end and it gets kind of k!nky, which is always a plus imo.

[Cat H · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.8 stars.
Oh my god. Cuteness factor: 1000
Rastus IS absolutely ‘precious’, just like Jessa Mae thinks.
He’s such a cinnamon roll! It’s too fucking cute and sweet honestly.
And then when he lets his feral side out? Holy hell. So Hot.🫠
I loved these two characters and the magic garden that provides anything they can think up.(so cool)

I’m so glad this cover caught my eye.
I’m absolutely in love with the sweetness and spice and the fact that it was a short, instalove with a Satyr! *swoon*

I can’t wait to read the next book!

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Not the worst monster romance novella out there, but it wasn’t great either. The FMC made a lot of dumb decisions and truly mentioned her grandma a concerning amount of time. What was with that? But hey, at least, the satyr was mostly alright, if you disregard the fated mates bullshit and the insta-love that I absolutely hate.

[kristin · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read a content warning that says "sexual assault, but not with the main couple" I think "oh, okay, the main characters are safe!" Nope. The fmc is indeed assaulted in this book. 😑 And then after she's assaulted, she doesn't really process what happened, but immediately jumps into an insta-love, sexual relationship with the mmc.

[tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED. so cute, I freaking love Rastus and Jessa Mae - but especially Rastus. definitely recommend!!

[Alyson Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awh, this was so lovely! Cheesy, romantic and fantastic holiday smut! What more do you need? The characters were well thought out for such a short book and it was incredibly easy to visualise the world setting which is a bit of a skill! Thanks Cia!

[Jadey (the Bookish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW💕

This was sublime, monstrous balm for the soil. That may have had everything to do with the contents of his mystical vials being liberally applied throughout the final 50%, but who can know for certain. While this was promoted as a Christmas novella with undeniably steady Yuletide vibes, I firmly believe you could enjoy this at any time of year. I read this exactly when I needed to, which was somewhat delayed, thanks to an unfortunate combination of festive hi-jinx & an spam email debacle.

We love a bashful boy with a tail. We swoon for insta-love, fated mates. We cheer for a few dashes of charming world building interwoven with mutual healing. But we STAN thicc ladies getting railed on their grandma’s vintage car. When I say there’s plus-sized rep, what you might hear is that there’s a FMC who’s described as curvy and then it’s mostly ignored unless she’s feeling insecure. That’s not what’s happening here. He worships every scrumptious inch of her luxurious body, all the way down to her “frowning bellybutton”. In most every description, the wholeness of the FMC is unapologetically acknowledged & well put. This satyr, on the other hand, is a cinnamon roll who is so sweet that it’s likely hazardous to my health. Not only do I need to be watchful of my blood sugar levels, I also need to monitor for dehydration because HOT DAMN, satyr-man!

I know with certainty that I’m going to be auto-downloading Cia Petrichor’s future works. Her writing style was enchanting. It’s one of my favorites I’ve encountered this year. Their respective mindsets & cultural frameworks were well-established & maintained. World building with novellas is always tricky but it’s excellently executed here. I’m already eagerly anticipating future installments.

[Veronica Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute read. The author states that this book is meant to be fun and cheesy and that’s exactly what it is. It’s a very easy read, has a whole lotta spice and has a very fast paced romance between the two characters.

I like the small amounts of their past that were able to learn about, and why their romance is so crucial. This was my first monster novella, and it was quite an adventure. I’m looking forward to reading Capsized in the Merman’s Cove next!

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute holiday monster romance read, so cheesy and cute.

So it starts when Jessa Mae goes to her Christmas party to be with her friend but ends up being whisked away with the directors son. When things go bad, Jessa is drugged by him and left in a labyrinth.

Rastus, a satyr, is trapped in a garden and exiled from the rest of his family, a door appears and he hears Jessa scream and saves her.

Pretty quickly he realised that she is his mate and his pov made me so sad because he didn’t want her to leave because of how lonely he has been without anyone all these years.

This little novella was super sweet, the way a curvy FMC is represented and shown in a sexy manner was just amazing and Rastus made her feel so beautiful I wanted to cry, he’s so attentive and so kind to her it was lush.

“It means I need to see you like this often, your glorious ass in the air and your delicious wet cunt bared to me, or I’ll die.”

Rastus has such a dirty mouth, the things he comes out with honest to god, I was reading it wide eyed.

All I can say is that this is such a sweet, holiday, monster romance with everything you’d want.

[Kristen Gets Shelfed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was adorable. Super cheesy and really easy to read. Plus add some monster spice and we were good to go!

This was the first ever ARC I have received and I honestly really enjoyed it! Also, this maybe weird, it gave me major Mr. Tumnus vibes ... which I am not mad about.

It included some of my favourite tropes:
1. Fated Mates
2. Forced Proximity

But it also gave me a bit of Friends to Lovers vibes, which is not my favourite but not world ending.

What I liked about it:

1. Jessa Mae was really relatable. Her insecurities were something that hit home for me and I could honestly understand everything from her perspective.
2. The smut scenes were pretty well written.
3. It was just a fun holiday book! This would be a fantastic read for anyone who is in a book slump because it's quick, easy, and happy with a little bit of campy.


What I wasn't a fan of:

1. I almost wish it was longer so we could have seen more of the dilemma
2. Rastus - though he is well written and quite the cutie - he's not my go too type of character. I'm not the biggest fan of cinnamon rolls in general. It didn't really deter me, nor is this something I would change about the book. This is just a personal preference.
3. I wanted it to be longer! I was sad it was so short!

Overall this is an adorable read. I really great holiday book because it doesn't overly throw Christmas in your face but it is present. I definitely recommend!

[Taylor Wilson-West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved sweet Rastus, he’s so loving and tender right off the bat! I have a feeling Jessa Mae and I would make great friends in real life. The atmosphere was lush and green, I loved the garden setting, it was very vivid and easy to picture.

Petrichor has an easy to follow writing style. I really liked how her characters came to life. The plot, while mostly to get the smut, was thorough and well thought out. The premise of being stuck with a Satyr in a maze was very interesting, and it didn’t disappoint! The book actually made perfect sense the way she wrote it, and the explanation for how things were.

This book was super enjoyable, it was cheesy and fun, which was the whole point. A great little holiday read!

[Merrill Serio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute easy to read novella. I don’t usually read much monster smut but this was such a lovely holiday story. It felt it can happen at anytime of year which is something I enjoyed. What made it a Christmas novella was just that it happened around Christmas time and there are Christmas traditions. Really excited that it’s going to be a series. I can’t wait to see what’s been going on with her friend.

Trope
Soulmates/Mates
Instalove
Breeding kink
Plus size FMC
Cinnamon roll MMC

[Lyonne Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this little book so much. It was cute, sweet, and let's not forget the special c*m. I loved Jess Mae's backstory, and really enjoyed the MMC, Rastus (and especially his accent!). I'm excited to pick up #2!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beta-read review 📖

Stranded in the Satyr's Garden is the PERFECT holiday read 🎄 it's festive without being in your face Christmassy and it made my heart feel SO full.

The novella is a rollercoaster of emotions - anger and fury, joy and warmth, fiery and saucy...😛

This insta-love story isn't just a holiday romance, it tackles abuse, grief and insecurity - and the healing process involved. Cia does an incredible job of addressing difficult, painful subjects and making you feel whole and warm by the end of the book.

Jessa Mae, our curvy FMC, meets Rastus in an enchanted garden after a holiday party gone awry - Rastus is a satyr and a goddamn adorable one at that. Their story of discovering they're fated mates made me smile and laugh, Rastus is so so so sweet, I want him for myself!

This novella is a perfect holiday romance with some yummy spice, sweet dialogue, insta-love, but with depth ❤️ I guarantee it will make you smile and get you a lil hot under the collar.

Read this book if you like...
• monster romances
• insta-love
• spice & smut
• curvy FMCs
• cinnamon roll MMCs
• fated mates

[Stephanie - naturally.caffeinated.reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you @author.ciapetrichor for an e-arc in exchange for honest review.

My favorite small business @d2designsca made me this amazing ornament and those in #joyfulchaos or my monster buddyread group will know the importance of the potatoe.

Rating 4/5☆
E-book & on KU
130 pages
Pub day Dec 23, 2022 - out NOW
Indie published
Gr avg. 4.68/5⭐

Recently I have gotten into monster 👾 romance books and this is probably my new favorite.

I really enjoyed this monster holiday novella. I loved the plus size FMC, I loved that our MMC fell first and the spicy scenes were so so good. I am currently obsessed with holiday novellas and cannot seem to get enough!!

Suggest picking it up

[Britt 🐺 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* This was so damn cute. I loved the cutesy romance between the two mains and how it turned all hot and steamy 😏 would def read more from this series

[Cecelia🐈‍⬛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved!! Literally so cute & fun😍

[Honest Mabel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was incredibly bored

I don’t know what it was but there wasn’t anything about this that sucked me in or made me want to finish it. I got about 18% in before I said forget it

[♥Genevieve♥ DirtyReadsandMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I know you’re afraid and that you’ve been hurt before. I’m afraid too, but I know with absolute certainty I will never hurt you. I will never leave you. If you accept me, I will love you without condition and strive to fill your life with laughter and safety, joy and pleasure.”
Cia Petrichor, Stranded in the Satyr’s Garden

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

This book was such a sweet, feel-good, smütty read and I DEVOURED it. Even though this book has a Christmas theme, it’s not super heavy and I didn’t have an issue reading it right now. This book is a novella, so it was a really quick read, but I loved that it felt like a nice little break/escape from my usually pretty dark reads. I loved the ode to Louisiana featured throughout and I thought the mentions of her Gram were so sweet🥺
Rastus was a perfect MMC who cared wholeheartedly about Jessa Mae, and wanted nothing else but to provide for her & cherish her, which had my heart melting🥹😭💖 If you want a sweet & smütty novella to get away from some of the heaviness of dark romance for a second, this is a really good one & I recommend.

Features:
-plus size/curvy FMC
-dual POV
-monster romance
-fated mates
-sqü!rtîng
-flavored & magic cüm
-light/warm read
-christmas vibes (not super heavy on christmas theme)
-novella

✨Fav Quotes✨
“Good lord, he’s not only far too good-looking for his own good, but he’s fvcking precious.”

“She is everything I've ever wanted, and I already know a lifetime of days and nights spent by her side will never be enough.”

“Being here with him, in his arms, nothing has ever felt so right.”

“Eyes on me while I’m making you come, love.”

“Your body is straight from my wildest dreams, my lovely Jessa Mae. You are formed in the image of the old fertility goddesses who nurtured and cared for the land, the mothers of my kind as our legends tell it.”

“You look so pretty dripping my seed out of your sweet c*nt, lass.”

[Ellie Moncrief · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given the opportunity to read this as an ARC and I am so grateful for that chance! This was such a warm and cozy Christmas read. I loved the sweetness and the spice between the two MC’s, but most of all, I loved Rastus’ determination not to pressure Jessa Mae into anything without her “enthusiastic, unwavering consent.”

Rastus was just the sweetest cinnamon roll satyr who suffered the terrible trauma of being abandoned by his people for nothing more than wanting to withhold himself from intimate ritualistic celebrations. The neat thing about this story was that the FMC’s arrival did not ‘cure’ him of his trauma—the psychological damage he suffered from his exile and the decades spent alone continues to plague him throughout the story’s progression, and it gives Rastus and Jessa Mae an opportunity to work through his anxieties together. Jessa Mae was an endless source of patience and understanding during a particularly bad anxiety attack, and I loved reading through the way she helped bring him back from his spiraling thoughts. It was a plus for me to see this kind of vulnerability written into a male character, because I feel like I always see an abundance of FMC’s in the romance genre that have to deal with trauma, but don’t get to see as much of it explored from a male’s perspective. He was deeply affected by the loss of the only home he’d ever known and had dedicated his whole life to, and I’m glad it remained an important plot point instead of being glossed over.

I loved the way Jessa Mae was written—from the way she mourned the loss of her Gram to the slowly mounting horror she experienced with her interaction with Junior (F that guy). And of course, in the way she approached waking up in a Satyr’s home. The flashbacks we get of her time with her Gram were so relatable and sweet, and I loved how she continued to look to Gram’s wisdom as the story progressed. She was awesome from beginning to finish, and I was so sad to see the story end. I hope we can catch glimpses of them in future works!

Favorite quote: “I fucking love him for it, for the kindness and acceptance and love he has already shone me in one day. I can only imagine what a lifetime of loving him and being loved by him will be like, but I’m impatient to find out.”

[Andranae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this novella as an ARC for my honest thoughts…
CIA!!!! This was all I wanted in a monster holiday novella and more!!! From the dedication to us bigger girls and the representation and love throughout made my heart smile.
Our FMC Jessa Mae is our beautiful curvy gal who is still healing from losing someone close and finds herself in a magical garden rescued by none other than our precious and delectable satyr Rastus… He is everything I wanted him to be. This is a fated mates story with plot and the perfect amount of spice. I don’t how, but our girl has done it again making us fall in love with monsters! Bravo Cia! I can’t wait for the next one!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cinnamon roll satyr with a penchant for adorable, anxious horn tugging? Sign me up!

I’m not usually an Insta-love fan, but in a novella such as this, it makes sense.

STRANDED IN THE SATYR’S GARDEN is sweet and spicy with a MMC who wants—needs—enthusiastic consent from our FMC, and that’s so refreshing! I’ve read one too many Erotic/Monster Romances wherein the male character is gruff and rough and walks just this side of the dubious consent line, you know?

That’s not Rast and the way he makes Jessa Mae feel cared for and seen. Considering what she had been through immediately before, and in the year leading up to, meeting Rast, it was really wonderful to see the story between them unfold into something more than just sex.

The sex is great, too, though! lol

Need a some quick monster lovin’? 10/10 would recommend

[thebiblioaddict]

I had to DNF, I really wanted to like this because I love monster romance but damn that SA scene I couldn't get past

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ rate for a novella from someone who isn’t into novellas let alone holiday ones? *Surprised gasp*😳

Why I dislike novellas in general ; They are either too short with no plot. But isn’t that mostly what novellas are, to be short and sweet and be forgotten about? WRONG.

“Sometimes you meet someone who feels like home, Jessa Mae. And you’ll just know.”

I got into a reading slump in the summer due to everything under the sun of my life being changed, I ended up needing to find some type of holiday joy since I had the mood of the Grinch more than ever. I’m glad I did! I really enjoyed it 🥰

Why I loved this novella ; It had a refreshing take on the plus size fmc ; while the human world didn’t see her as a person at all, stepping into the fantasy world of the Satyr Rastus’s home, his first look at her takes his breath away and he loves her like the goddess she is. The MMC had a balanced personality of being a gentleman but also wanting to ravage the heck out of the fmc…. Which I love because I’m all about the smut 🥴. I also loved that the fmc traveled through a different world/ magical realm. Mixing together fantasy and holiday vibes would seem like a challenge, but the author did it FLAWLESSLY *chef kiss*!

The protective, cinnamon roll mmc but a freak in the sheets MMC is adorable in every way. He’s the patient, ever loving gentleman. He waited for the green light from Jessa Mae, and it got hot and steamy and tingly in all the right places 😍!

The fated trope backstory was a classic, of course they’d fall in love with each other in a short amount of time, THEY’RE MATES, and I frikkin loved it. Having a plus size fmc go through the struggle of not being seen as a real person in the human world but a goddess in the universe she was meant to be in with Rastus gave me all the warm fuzzy feels.

I loved how they incorporated Yule, the whole hallmark Christmas romance I’d watch and read a while back has been way overplayed, so it was refreshing to have it in the novella. The details of the main characters celebrating it gave me all the holiday vibes!

Overall 🌶️ rate 4/5

“And what if I want to ride your face until I come, Rastus? I’m a big girl, satyr. I could suffocate you. What would you do?”


“It’s a shame,” I whisper against his hot skin, nuzzling his throat to soothe the bite. “Christmas is the season of giving and I’m in a very giving mood.” I punctuate each word with a roll of my hips over him, delighting in the hiss he makes.”

Once the smut hits in this novella, WHOOO does it make you forget to breathe!

⚠️My dislikes are very minor, and is mostly due to preference. ⚠️

The only reason for the 4 out of 5 spice rate is because it ends up in a pregnancy trope, BUT it’s consensual on both sides, and they do wait a while before actually deciding to have a family. I respect that given a LOT of smut books I read either don’t warn you beforehand or just give you morning sickness while you’re in mid read, what a mood killer 🙄, a definite DNF whenever this comes up. Pregnancy tropes just aren’t my thing, but everyone has a preference! This novella didn’t bother me that much about including this in there. It was brought up in a tasteful way.

The other part was recalling a lot about Jessa Mae and her grandmother. I felt like there were too many recaps of the memories and conversations the fmc and her grandma had that it kind of “c*ck blocked” the story a bit, but it’s not hard to realize it is a part of the fmc’s personality and standards for the relationship she wants to be in. If you’re a family type of person then by all means it is a minor factor in this book, however I came from a family that was distant emotionally and rarely opened up to anyone in a positive and caring, wholesome way , so I couldn’t relate to this particular relationship the fmc has.